What it means
داروی گیاهی (dâru-ye giyâhi) means herbal medicine or herbal remedy. Both words are native Persian: دارو (dâru) means medicine or drug, and گیاهی (giyâhi) is the adjective derived from گیاه (giyâh), meaning plant or herb. The phrase covers teas, tinctures, capsules, and preparations made from plants rather than synthetic compounds. A closely related term is طب سنتی (tebb-e sonnati), traditional medicine, which is the broader system داروی گیاهی belongs to.
How to use it
- مادربزرگم همیشه داروی گیاهی استفاده میکنه. (mâdarbozorgam hamishe dâru-ye giyâhi estefâde mi-kone.) “My grandmother always uses herbal medicine.”
- برای سرماخوردگی داروی گیاهی بهتره یا قرص؟ (barâye sarmâ-xordegi dâru-ye giyâhi behtare yâ qors?) “For a cold, is herbal medicine better or pills?”
- تو عطاریها داروی گیاهی پیدا میشه. (tu attâri-hâ dâru-ye giyâhi peydâ mi-she.) “Herbal medicines can be found at herbalist shops.”
- داروی گیاهی هم میتونه با داروهای شیمیایی تداخل داشته باشه. (dâru-ye giyâhi ham mi-tune bâ dâru-hâye shimi-yi tadâxol dâshte bâshe.) “Herbal medicine can also interact with chemical medicines.”
Cultural note
Iran has a centuries-old tradition of herbal medicine rooted in the works of physicians such as Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, whose Canon of Medicine documented hundreds of plant-based treatments. Today عطاری shops, traditional herbalist stores, are found in every Iranian city and bazaar, selling dried herbs, seeds, and prepared remedies alongside advice from the shopkeeper. Many Iranians use داروی گیاهی alongside or instead of conventional pharmaceuticals, and the Iranian Ministry of Health has a dedicated office for traditional and complementary medicine that regulates herbal products.